


In a State of Motion

by shadesofstubbornness



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Kylo may or may not have considered investing in 'Grub' just to avoid commuting, Public Transportation, Rey is the MRT/LRT warrior, Welcome to my country where everyday is an adventure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-03 10:00:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16324082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadesofstubbornness/pseuds/shadesofstubbornness
Summary: The ground rumbles, warning everyone to prepare for what’s to come. Rey is ready. She truly is.She needs to be.





	In a State of Motion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [murakamism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/murakamism/gifts).



Rey releases a deep breath for the battle up ahead. A screeching noise reverberates, its steady pattern couldn’t be misconstrued as random.

_This is it._

She rolls her neck and the knot between her shoulders finally loosens.

No matter. It would return again for what awaits her.

The ground rumbles, warning everyone to prepare for what’s to come. Rey is ready. She truly is.

_She needs to be._

In just a split second, a door hisses open just millimeters from her face. Her nose twitches at the smell that greets her‒ heady desperation of the people. Rey enters and immediately sits down. She checks her watch. The Finalizer, the metropolitan train, arrives five minutes late from its schedule. Schedule being a fantasy for the transportation thrives on two things: sucking the vigor from its passengers and perpetual tardiness.

But Rey would prefer this rather than ride the bus. She cringes, remembering _that_ one time back when she was just starting in the city. The traffic is a given. Being forcibly squeezed in her seat wasn’t also the problem. Rey could forgive that useless air-conditioner, already used to hot weather. But she would never, ever forget the man occupying the window seat beside her.

He was texting his lover or his whatever judging from the racy conversation they were having. Rey didn’t read it discreetly. She literally had no choice because the bus conductor was still inviting frazzled passengers aboard. She had no choice but to see it.

Rey closed her eyes, not wanting to know what “Bebe” replied after his innuendo about “bath time”. After thirty minutes with the bus nowhere near from moving, the man _thankfully_ put his phone inside his pocket. Rey stopped her litany of curses inside her mind. 

However, she shouldn’t have. He took out another phone and tried to find a more comfortable position. (He failed of course.) He pressed play and a video appeared on the screen.

It wasn’t Rey’s favorite genre. In fact, it’s something that shouldn’t even be watched, at least in public.

_Yep. The male species is doomed._

The bastard is watching porn out of places. Rey cried inwardly. She got off the bus despite already paying her fee. On that blasted day, Rey Johnson wasted money just because a man couldn’t wait any longer to _get off_.

So the Finalizer it is. The train is separated into two three sections. The one closest to the driver are for the elderly, pregnant women, children, and persons with disabilities. She stays in the second which are only for the female passengers. The third is for both sexes.

She distantly hears Poe Dameron’s musing from her social sciences elective. “If women want equality so much, why do they have the privilege of being the second priority in the train? Like that time in the Titanic?” his charming voice trying to assert his point across. Needless to say, Rey gave him a low score in the faculty evaluation forms that semester.

It’s not that Rey hates men. They’re just so…meh, kind of like those expensively produced movies that are just useless garbage when you watch them. From her twenty-three years of forcibly surviving in this planet, her best friend, Finn, is the only decent guy that she knows.

_Sad isn’t it?_

More passengers enter. Rey puts her backpack on her lap, brandishing it like a shield from wayward limbs and hands searching for their next victim. An automated voice announces that the doors are about to close. It’s actually comforting, given that this is part of the routine, just another element that composes the boring life that Rey has.

It usually goes like this: the doors close and everyone’s senses disappear. The passengers become blind from each other’s presence. They become numb despite their close proximity. The distinct smell still permeates artificiality and mediocre effectiveness. Everyone thirsts for satisfaction, hoping that they’ll reach it soon. Meanwhile, Rey will just drown her ears with loud music and waits for her stop.

However, this is interrupted.  Everyone’s eyes are focused on the last passenger entering Rey’s section. This one is certainly not pregnant or old. He’s tall, broad shouldered, and… frankly stupid for being in here.

Rey gazes down at his shoes that are meant for running but is apparently only used for walking, judging from its pristine condition and notable brand. He’s wearing three-fourth shorts that should look funny in his height _but_ still somehow works for him. His biceps are aggressively making its presence known from his fitted collared black t-shirt. The fact that he’s holding paper bags while grabbing the nearby handle flexes his right bicep even more.  

The audacity of his presence doesn’t stop there. His face, an amalgam of contradictions are emotionless but Rey can see the quiet panic in his dark eyes.

_Great. He’s lost._

Rey is offended. She’s disturbed by this stranger, this outsider who makes her feel sweaty and disgusting just by occupying the same space. He looks fresh, nothing from him is out of place. He even has shoulder-length stylish hair.

 _Who would have that here in this weather?!_  
  
She never thought that her usual Saturday after her part-time work could end this way.

_Fuck! Is this guy a celebrity? Am I gonna be in a show?_

Rey tries to find any hidden camera in him, already dreading the prospect of being caught in those viral videos.

Outsider ( _Yes, that’s his nickname)_  faces her gaze head on. Rey is too surprised at being caught, much so for the fact that _she_ is admittedly staring. She immediately looks down and bobs her head exaggeratedly, pretending that she’s lost in the music despite not selecting play to start her playlist.

_Well, you could if you consider silence as rock and roll._

Her ears and neck are burning. She can’t blame the heat because it’s actually raining. This fact she discovers by the telltale raindrop that dripped down on her forehead.

_Did I mention that our trains have a few holes in them?_

But Rey doesn’t mind this at all. She’s more mindful of… him. She keeps her head down at the entirety of the ride. Never mind that her neck aches and the knot between her shoulders return.

  
“Takodana Station. Takodana Station.” The train driver announces boredly through the outdated speakers. Rey fights her way outside. She cringes inwardly when Outsider follows behind her.

It’s almost muscle memory how she takes out her metro card outside her pocket and places it on top of the ticket machine. Because if there’s another thing that beats traffic, people hogging the line is the second worse. Outsider is one of them. His single journey ticket can’t be accepted. It’s jammed.  Rey rubs her face in frustration because of course, of course this is the only functional one and now this idiot ruined it.

“Move,” she steps forward and taps her metro card, paying for his exit. He just stands there. Rey rolls her eyes, really tempted to push him out. She motions for him to go with a twist of her head. He wipes his hands on his shorts and nods. Rey follows immediately after, dreading the mess this will cause her strict budget.

“How much is it?”

Rey ignores him and presents her backpack to the bored lady guard.

“Miss?” _Ughh. Even his voice is annoying._ It’s reminiscent by some customers, those high-ranking professionals that finished college in Ivy League universities. It sounds like privilege married entitlement, and they unfortunately have no plans to file a divorce. (Or annulment for that case since divorce isn't legal here.)

“It’s fine,” she puts her metro card inside her wallet and closes it. With those words and the zipper safely locked into place, Rey crosses the pedestrian lane, leaving him behind.

 _Thank the Marker._ Her mind sighs and she prepares herself for the remaining commute back at her apartment. She doesn’t think that Outsider will ride a jeepney. His frame wouldn’t allow it.

Kylo Ren follows her retreating form, almost tempted to call her back. He doesn’t know where the hell he is. Months abroad caused everything in his birthplace Chandrila to change drastically, to become something unfamiliar and complicated. He still couldn’t book a taxi, given that it’s still the rush hour. Squeezing himself in a tricycle will _never_ be an option.  
  
_Never again._  
  
Not after that one time went the tire went flat and the frazzled tricycle driver tried to push through with him still inside. He should’ve just accepted his mother’s suggestion to let Threepio drive him earlier.

Of course, being his usual self, he waved her suggestion off and said in a voice that should’ve proved his maturity at thirty-one years old, “I can handle it.” Leia only raised her eyebrow and Han huffed beside her. “Right.”

It’s still annoys him that _they’re_ right. He panicked as the Finalizer’s doors started to close. He ran and went inside. The surprised glances thrown his way by the women reminded him that he should be on the next section. But Kylo painfully soldiers on. He’s usually not this helpless and all over the place.   

_If only Rose and Paige can see me right now_

He puts his purchases down, remembering why he’s outside in the first place. The airport lost his luggage containing almost all of his clothes. The ones back at the home are too small for him. He can’t wear those at work, dreading what Phasma would say if she sees his Pink Floyd band t-shirt.

Kylo’s reverie is broken when he sees something glinting beside him. It’s an identification card.

 _Rey Johnson: Customer Service Junior Associate_ / _Maz’s Bookstore_

Her smiling face is completely at odds with her annoyed expression earlier. Kylo grimaced, recalling his embarrassing moment. When he felt her stare inside the train, he felt like he was presenting his resignation letter to Snoke, It was like she was accusing him, daring him to explain why he’s there in the first place.

When she paid for his fare, he felt even more defensive. Then she just left without a backward glance and Kylo felt like the world’s biggest nuisance.

He wipes her photo with his thumb. He can’t believe it.

_It’s her, the girl he’s heard so much about. The girl who payed for his fare. Rey._

Kylo knows where he’ll be next Saturday. The prospect of using their city’s lackluster public transportation doesn’t seem dreadful anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was from a conversation I had with @holyrenperor. It was so amusing to imagine how Reylo would interact in our country's public transportation. I wish I could tell you that I took some artistic liberties in this fic... but unfortunately, all of these happened to me. (Well, except for the Kylo part. Lord knows if a stranger that good-looking stumbles into the train/jeep/bus, the ride may become worth it. Kidding.)
> 
> Anyways, hope you liked this! :)
> 
> *retreats back into hiding place*


End file.
